Jeremiah 29:11 ​  

                 Prayerline

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Obedience is Better than Sacrifice

Scripture:  I Samuel 15:22-23

What happens when we do not obey God?  What happens when we deliberately or continuously refuse to obey God, and have to do it our own way?  My message / testimony is based on the following scripture verses from I Samuel 15:22-23:  And Samuel said, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king."

I want to look at the example of Saul in I Samuel 15:1-35.  This is a very sad story of a King who was fearful of the people, who listened to the people rather than to the Voice of God.  

God had given Saul specific instructions:  Read I Samuel 15:1-3.  

But we see that Saul refused to obey God’s command to utterly destroy all of Amalekites —all of them.   Read verse 8-9.  But we will see that Saul had to pay a great price for his disobedience.  

The Word of the Lord to Samuel in I Samuel 15:10-11:  It repented me that I have set up Saul to be king:  for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.  

When Saul met Samuel, he told him that he had performed the commandments of the Lord, Verse 13.  But, Samuel refuted that in verse 14 and 15 (read about bleating sheep).   Samuel  tried to put it on the people for taking the best of the things….saying that they took the best to sacrifice v.22.  God’s message:  Verse 22-23.  Saul confessed v 24 that he feared the people; then asked for forgiveness.  What was the ultimate result of his disobedience and his being influenced by the people? v26:  Thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.  Vs. 28.

I ask you:

What have you been holding onto that God has said to release?  Is there something God has told you to do but you continuously refuse to obey His Commandments?  His Voice?  What have you refused to do?  What areas of disobedience can you see in your own life?  Examine – think about it.  Let the Lord show you your own heart.

That’s what I had to do!  I have been praying I John 1:9; Psalms 51:9-10; Psalm 139:23-24; and Hebrews 4:12 for about a year. I asked God to “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me…Search my heart and see if there be any wickedness…and Heb. 4:12 for the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  When you pray and ask something of God, you may not be ready for His answer; for what He is going to do.  It may not be what you expect.  

The revelation of what was in my heart was not pretty; actually it was rather ugly.  My friend refers to them as the “Uglies”.  I had to admit that I had been rebellious and disobedient in certain areas of my life.  I saw that sometimes you can become so involved with activities which interfere and take your focus off of what God has told you to do.  I had to face this.  I am submitting to God to do that mighty work in my life that I asked of Him.  That way I can be better fit to minister to His people.

You may have to let some things and people go in your life so that God can get through to you.  I had to learn that God will have no other god before Him.  He will not change His Word to suit you or me.  I had to learn that.  I felt like the children of Israel who took 40 years for a journey that should have taken them 8 days.  Disobedience and rebellion will cause you to miss out on God’s blessings and God’s best for you.  But it’s not too late.  It’s all up to you and me.  Do you have some choices and/or changes to make?  Remember what happened to Saul.  You still have time.  God had not rejected you like He rejected Saul.  We are better off than Saul for we have the Blood of Jesus to cover our sins, and we can go to the cross and ask for forgiveness, as along as we have breathe in our bodies.  Delay only means that you are missing our on that sweet communion with your Heavenly Father and His best for you.

Think about it!  Am I holding onto something God has told me to release?  Examine your life?  Is there unforgiveness, jealousy, envy, pride, judgmentalism or impatience?  What is in that heart of yours that goes against our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our example?  Do your own self analysis, and see if your are in jeopardy!!